Thursday, February 26

"The
inspiration for the [first, 2008] collection was not about high fashion or excessive
design but the working clothes and simple, stylish, weekend garments I
watched my father and uncles dress in when I was a kid. They were not
rich but liked to wear good clothes, a nice bit of tweed and polished
shoes, on a weekend, but it was the every day garments of their working
lives that influenced that first collection. In reality what they were
wearing was probably dated by the time I saw them, as they were still
dressed in fifties and early sixties clothes in the seventies!

I began with a simple everyday “Work Jacket”. Back then
everybody’s idea of a work jacket was either the French over dyed indigo
blue version or the US Chore Jacket or Engineers Jacket. The one I
designed was in that same mould but I remembered the curved sleeves of
my dad’s from years of wear so I added darted sleeves to achieve this
more ergonomic shape. Essentially it was the same simple work jacket I’d
had in my head all those years except with a few more considered
touches.

Once the jacket was taking shape, the pattern made, samples in work, I
needed to give it a name. The WORK jacket would have been the obvious
choice, but I wanted it to be a nod towards my old man, and not only did
he work really hard he also had a skilled job; he was a Baker. So that
was it, the BAKERS JACKET was born. It is a hard working simple jacket, much like my Dad was a hard working simple guy, what you saw was what you got." David Keyte, Universal Works.

Wednesday, February 25

BUT did get introduced to a proper sledding hill the last time in Vermont. The key is to find a snowmobile trail - so it is all packed down. Second trick is to bring a camp stove (left below) to cook dogs. Essential if small children around. Snowmobiles came by every 10 minutes or so - we could have sold them dogs and juice boxes for $10 a hit...

Start up here, helmet is a decent idea.

Then slide down - very fast. Up to 2 kids on your back...

See if you can steer to the jump built off to the right. Don't worry - soft landing.

Tuesday, February 17

Japanese glove makers Grip Suwanee Inc. have been making this particular
style of glove since 1986, adapting traditional western USA Pioneer
style leather work by using double stitched Kevlar thread (5 times
stronger and more durable than cotton), chrome tanning and waterproofing
treatments... they wear in, not out.

Monday, February 9

One of our stealth finds of the century (a Charleston, MA industrial that made canvas bags as a sideline) has created a full retail site; Boston Bag. Their original rivetted version above now on sale for Valentine's Day at $52 - the thing is immense - carry-hockey-skates-big, everything-you-need-for-the-beach-big.

"We began manufacturing our industrial canvas bags in 1928 to serve the
needs of utility workers in Boston. Soon we began shipping our bags all
over the country as power lines were being built and maintained from
coast to coast. Although originally intended as a purely industrial
item, these rugged bags soon became indispensable to regular folks,
whether they needed them for sports equipment, boating gear,
woodworking tools, or just the day-to-day... Proudly made in the USA."

If you want a few more bells and whistles they have a 'maple whiskey' version as below; $148. That means waxed canvas bottom, leather handles and longer straps. Both are unbreakable 22oz canvas.